


Tomorrow's Fatal Flaw

by Noëlle McHenry (Quasi_Detective)



Series: Project Eclipse [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: 1930s, 1940s, Burglary, Crimes & Criminals, Detectives, Drama, F/M, Gaslighting, Good Cop Bad Cop, Jealousy, On Hiatus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-01 12:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5205551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quasi_Detective/pseuds/No%C3%ABlle%20McHenry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Station Detective-Sergeant Gilbert Pudget has a dream. That dream? To reach the rank of Detective-Inspector. When the promotion is stolen from him even after his attempt to thwart the advances of his competition, he decides to repeat his attempt in an effort to remove Detective-Inspector Alexander Nels from the game. Will he succeed? And if he does, will he regret it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Guilty Yet Rewarded

           Station Detective-Sergeant Gilbert Pudget hurried along, desperate to catch up with the recently-promoted Station Detective-Inspector Alexander Nels. Seeing as the younger, arguably more successful man was a speed walker by nature, such a feat proved difficult, especially for an out of shape old man like Pudget. Still, however, the resilient sergeant refused to give up, for he was as stubborn as a mule.

           Going on what Pudget could tell from the distance he was at, Nels seemed to be immersed in his own world, pacing along, presumably with a lollypop in his mouth to help control his low blood sugar. Nels typically appeared to Pudget to be a reserved, calm young man. He had not seen too much of the new inspector, but he seemed reluctant to let his emotions seize control of him. At least, he had seemed that way until…

           “ _Filthy pig!_ ”

           Nels turned his head, as did Pudget, to that remark. The negative comment, directed at Nels, had been hurled out the window of a passing car. After a brief moment of waiting for the car to pass, Pudget watched Nels adjust his fedora, the colour of which matched his dark green coat. His body language was at that point expressing the anxiety he likely felt in that moment.

           But a moment later, Pudget finally caught up with Nels. The inspector had his fedora tilted down as if to cover his face.

 _“Detective-Inspector_.” Pudget said to announce his presence.

           “ _Detective-Sergeant_.” Nels responded with a deep exhale. Sure enough, there was a white lollypop stick protruding from his lips.

           “ _I heard about your last case._ ”

           Nels almost seemed to flinch with the change of subject, and he lowered his head a bit to the wind as to prevent his fedora from flying off.

           “ _I just don’t see why everyone’s getting so hostile over it._ ”

           “ _Pudget, I sentenced a boy to his death._ ”

           “ _Yes, so?_ ”

           “ _I sentenced an_ innocent _boy to his death. I can’t believe they had the gall to keep me on the force, never mind promote me. What did I do to deserve a promotion? Commit murder?_ ”

           “Indirect _murder._ ” Pudget corrected.

           “ _I may as well have been the one to pull the lever. I’m the one who sent him there. I just wish I’d found out he was innocent sooner…_ ”

           Pudget turned his head and looked ahead. The truth of the situation was that Gilbert Pudget was a bit of a two-faced sergeant. Out of a vicious desire for a promotion, he had been the true crook behind Nels’ last case. However, even after setting the former sergeant up for failure, for an incorrect result and sequential murder of an innocent boy, still the younger man had received the promotion! As a result, Pudget found himself with only one option if he wanted to take “his” rank back.  
           He had to put another failure onto Nels’ shoulders.

           “ _Why are you here, anyway?_ ”

           Nels’ words snapped Pudget out of his thoughts. “ _Hm?_ ”

           “ _Why are you following me right now?_ ”

           “ _Oh. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I know how beastly people can get after an execution._ ”

           “ _I’m… I’m fine._ ” There was a slight pause in that statement, leading Pudget to believe it was a lie. His belief was accented further when a dishevelled homeless man, taking along with him a rusty shopping cart filled with what Pudget figured to be garbage, began approaching them while seemingly trying to address Nels.

           “ _’ey, you, in th’ hat._ ” The man grumbled drunkenly. Pudget noticed out of the corner of his eye that Nels, despite having a nervous look on his face, straightened his posture and puffed out his chest ever so slightly. However, he said nothing, refusing to communicate with the strange man in any way other than body language.

           “ _Stupid hat. W’uld y’ gimme yer hat?_ ” The rest of what the man said as he passed by, almost getting in Nels’ face as he did, was unintelligible gibberish that neither officer could understand. In fact, what Pudget had already heard was just a guess. For all he knew, the man could have been talking about something else entirely.

           Once the drunkard with the shopping cart passed, Nels resumed slouching.

           “ _Bloody drunk bastard. No wonder this town’s going to shit._ ” Pudget grumbled. The comment earned him a gaze from Nels, who glanced over with his soothing snowy blue eyes that contrasted deeply in tone his shoulder-length black hair.

           Pudget looked at Nels. Their eyes met, and the eye contact was held for a few quiet seconds as they kept walking. “ _… What is it?_ ”

           “ _What?_ ”

           “ _You don’t normally make eye contact with anyone, I hear._ ”

           With that, Nels averted his eyes back toward the sidewalk. “ _Honestly, I kind of like it here in Catshill._ ”

           “ _You can’t be serious. Here? It’s_ miserable _here. I don’t know how anyone stands this god-awful place._ ”

           “ _Then why don’t you leave?_ ” Nels casually retaliated with his lollypop nearly smothering his words.

           Realizing he had been caught in the midst of a lie, Pudget changed his tone. “ _I’m being sarcastic, Nels._ ”

           From the look on his face, he could tell that this excuse didn’t sit well in Nels' head, but to his relief, the pale-skinned man didn’t say anything about it.

           “ _How far are we from your destination?_ ”

           Nels slipped the white lollypop stick out of his mouth, having finished the candy, and put it in his left pocket. “ _Not far._ ”

           “ _Will you be alright on your own?_ ”

           “ _Yes. I’m not_ too _likely to get jumped on this street._ ”

           “ _Hey, after whatever you’re doing here, come back to the station, would you?_ ”

           Nels turned toward Pudget again, but this time didn’t make eye contact. “ _Why?_ ”

           “ _I hear there’s a new client for you already. Some woman. She’s quite famous, apparently._ ”

           “ _Is that so?_ ” Nels replied with distaste thick in his soft voice.

           “ _Will you take her case?_ ”

           “ _Of course._ ”

           Pudget couldn’t contain his smirk. “ _Atta boy._ ”

           “ _Good afternoon, Detective-Sergeant._ ” With a lift of his hat, Nels turned around and started to walk.

           “ _I will see you later, Detective-Inspector._ ” Turning around himself, Pudget added under his breath, “ _Whether you want to see me or not._ ”


	2. Enquiry

           Carmilla Gentry was not only an attractive blend of phonetic sounds, but also the name of the famous millionaire singer that now paced back and forth in front of the office of Station Detective-Inspector Alexander Nels. Her rushed walking displayed to Station Detective-Sergeant Gilbert Pudget just how impatient she was becoming. Seeing as he found her rather pretty, and felt himself becoming fonder and fonder of her with each passing moment, Pudget opted to reassure her in the hopes of getting on her good side.

           “ _I’m sure Nels is on his way over right now, Miss Gentry. But until he arrives, why don’t you tell_ me _what the problem is?_ ”

           The woman whipped around to face him, her curly orange hair bouncing at her shoulders with the movement. Her light brown eyes, accented with mascara and dark blue eye shadow, captivated Pudget, and left him petrified under her vaguely-insulted gaze, not unlike someone who had chanced upon Medusa herself.

           “ _I appreciate the offer, Sergeant, but in all honesty, I would prefer to save my breath and explain why I’m here to both you and Inspector Nels at the same time._ ” She said in a deep, sultry voice. As she spoke, Pudget kept his eyes on her lips, painted a vibrant magenta-pink with glossy lipstick.

           “ _I_ _see. So…_ ”

           “ _I’m hiring you both._ ”

           Pudget raised a brow. “ _Hiring? Miss Gentry, we are not private detectives. We can’t be ‘hired.’_ ”

           “ _I insist._ ” The woman responded. “ _I only want you two on the case._ ”

           “ _Why’s that? I’m not even supposed to work with Nels._ ” Pudget scrunched his nose. “ _Well, I mean, not directly, anyway._ ”

           Carmilla sighed in what almost sounded like frustration. “ _Because I know that Inspector Nels will do whatever it takes to bring my case to a close, and I know that you’re the next best officer._ ”

           The sergeant felt his eye twitch slightly. She was calling him the best, yes, but the best _behind_ Nels. He almost wanted to tell her off and insist that he should be her number one choice, but, knowing that he soon would be if his plan worked out successfully, he simply forced a smile onto his face. “ _Why, thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me to hear that someone appreciates my work._ ”

           Saying nothing in response, Carmilla then turned away. Out of the pocket of her long red and black fur coat, she revealed a little makeup compact. She flipped it open, examining her face in the round mirror and using her gloved finger to correct small flaws in the application of her lipstick.

           “ _Speaking of appreciating someone’s work, I’ve heard your singing before._ ” Pudget said smoothly.

           “ _Oh, really?_ ”

           “ _Yes. I love your voice._ ”

           “ _Thanks, I guess._ ”

           Mentally, Pudget shrugged. A “thanks, I guess” was better than nothing, he figured.

           Not a moment later, Detective-Inspector Nels came bustling down the hallway, pulling off his fedora.  
           “ _Sorry to have kept you waiting until evening, miss. I had some loose ends I had to tie up._ ”

           Carmilla instantly took an interest in Nels, clicking her compact shut by closing her hand. “ _Oh, it was no bother at all, Inspector. Your arrival made up for the wait entirely._ ”

           Pudget felt his face sag somewhat from disappointment and jealousy. It seemed as though, merely from first impression, the gorgeous woman had already developed a preference for Nels.

           Pulling out a key from the pocket of his trench coat, Nels opened the door to his office, allowing Carmilla to enter first. He and Pudget shared a brief competitive glance (or at least, that’s how Pudget saw it) as the sergeant stepped into the cramped room as well. Entering after both of them, Nels shut the door behind him.

           The office was no bigger than a 3x4 meter room. The desk sat on the opposite side of the room from the door, and the two adjacent walls both had similar looking drawers against them. On the walls were framed paintings and a few certificates belonging to Nels. Pudget noticed that, according to one of these certificates, Nels had a degree in the medical field. Such a development made the sergeant wonder why Nels hadn’t gone on to become a doctor rather than an officer of the law.

           The inspector grabbed one of the chairs in front of his desk and moved it to the other side, before sitting on the chair that said chair was now beside. He then pat the cushion of the moved seat, looking at Pudget as to further signify who the gesture was meant for.

           Briefly, Pudget considered it both funny and odd that Nels had not pulled out the now-lone chair for Carmilla to sit on, however, when he did so himself, he was greeted with a sneer.

           “ _Thank you, but I think I can pull out a chair for myself._ ” The rich woman grumbled at him bitterly.

           Shut down and, frankly, somewhat confused, Pudget shrugged and took his seat beside Nels. Nels had his leg crossed up onto his lap with his foot extended toward Pudget, so the sergeant had to make a conscious effort not to shove it out of his way once he had sat.

           “ _Now, Miss…_ ”

           “ _Gentry. Carmilla Gentry._ ”

           “ _What is it that a beautiful woman such as yourself needs from us?_ ”

           Carmilla inhaled deeply and let out a sigh. She almost seemed reluctant to speak in that moment. Either that or she had been stunned by the compliment, but Pudget refused to think of such a reason for her pause. With his foot, Pudget gave Nels’ planted leg a shove, earning a slight twitch from the inspector.

           “ _Well, Inspector Nels, my first problem is that my home was burglarized._ ” The rich woman finally said.

           “ _Burglarized, you say? What was stolen?_ ”

           “ _Some of my jewellery, if you must know. Pearl necklaces and bracelets, expensive rings, stuff like that._ ”

           “ _Was that all?_ ”

           Carmilla tilted her head, resting it in the palm of her hand while her elbow sat upon the arm of the chair. “ _I have a wall safe behind a painting in my house. Whoever broke in cracked it._ ”

           Nels uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, his hands clasped between his legs. “ _What did you keep inside the safe, Miss Gentry?_ ”

           With a flippant wave of her free hand, Carmilla responded, “ _Some cheques and some cash. I don’t trust the bank to keep my funds entirely in check, so I take some of it out every now and then and hold onto it myself. I’ve certainly got enough to spare for it._ ”

           “ _If you’ve got enough money to spare, then why do you need us? Surely it’s not the loss of the money that worries you._ ”

           “ _You’re correct to think that, Inspector. It’s not the money. It’s the safety concern._ ”

           “ _Did anything else seem out of place to you?_ ” Pudget spoke up. “ _For example, your front door. Was it unlocked?_ ”

           “ _Yes, it was. I usually don’t think anything of such a discovery though, since my son is rather forgetful._ ”

           Pudget’s eyes widened from surprise. “ _Son? You have a son?_ ”

           Carmilla sat upright. “ _Oh, yes, about him. He’s my second problem._ ”

           “ _How so?_ ” Nels questioned.

           “ _He’s gone missing, Inspector. First the jewellery, then the money, and then him._ ”

           Nels leaned back in his chair, re-crossing his legs as he rubbed his chin in thought. “ _Is it possible by any chance, Miss Gentry, that your son was the one to take the jewellery and the money?_ ”

           “ _I wouldn’t think so. He doesn’t know the code to the wall safe, nor does he know how to crack safes... At least, he doesn’t know that to_ my _knowledge, anyway…_ ”

           “ _Would he have any reason to want to run away with some of your money?_ ”

           “ _Absolutely not. We have a close relationship, my son and I. I might not spend as much time with him as a mother should, but he is by no means neglected by me._ ”

           “ _So you two are on good terms._ ”

           Carmilla nodded. Her eyes were beginning to water somewhat, and from her pocket she pulled a small handkerchief with which she dabbed carefully at her eyes. “ _Forgive me, Inspector. I promised myself I wouldn’t become emotional in front of you._ ”

           Nels shook his head, leaning forward again. “ _Don’t apologize, Miss Gentry. I may have no idea what you’re going through right now, but I know it must be tough. I promise you, I will do anything I can to help track down your son._ ”

           “ _I as well._ ” Pudget stammered out, feeling like a third wheel all of the sudden.

           With a sniffle, Carmilla managed to regain her composure. “ _Thank you, boys. I knew I was choosing the right people._ ”

           The faintest of smiles appeared on Nels’ lips, and it made Pudget feel bitterer than before. He had hardly managed to get a good word in with Carmilla thus far, before Nels swooped in and suddenly decided to play white knight.

           “ _But, first thing’s first._ ” Nels began.

           “ _Ah, yes, your payment._ ”

           The inspector’s pale eyes widened, almost accenting the darkness of his tired eyelids. “ _Payment? By heavens, no. Miss Gentry, I simply cannot accept your money._ ”

           “ _As I said to Sergeant Pudget, I insist._ ”

           With a sigh, Nels rephrased his response. “ _Fine. If you insist, then I implore you to at least wait to see if my performance is satisfactory to your standards before naming any figures._ ”

           Carmilla shrugged, a smirk tugged at her lips. “ _Fair enough. However, I’m fairly certain that your performance will be absolutely marvellous._ ”

           “ _We all have our off days._ ”

           Pudget huffed. He was now the one growing increasingly impatient. “ _Nels._ ”

           After a brief second of thought, Nels resumed with business. “ _Would it be alright if Pudget and I were to take a look around your home, Miss Gentry?_ ”

           The woman nodded. “ _Do what you must, Inspector, but I have one condition._ ”

           “ _And that is?_ ”

           “ _Take me with you._ ”


	3. Gathering Evidence

           Carmilla Gentry’s house appeared rather big from the outside, a characteristic that Detective-Sergeant Gilbert Pudget quite liked. He had always had a preference for large, spacious houses, and could easily picture himself someday marrying the beautiful Carmilla and sharing the stunning house with her.

           In contrast, however, Detective-Inspector Alexander Nels seemed to hold the size of the house in poor taste if Pudget were to read what his facial expression stated. Perhaps he found it to be immodest of such a rich woman to display her wealth in such a way. Whatever the case, Pudget simply shrugged it off, figuring that it was the inspector’s loss.

           Walking up the steps to the front door, Carmilla produced a ring of keys from her pocket, making Pudget curious as to just how much she was carrying in that long, flowing coat of hers.

           Carmilla opened the door. “ _Come on in, boys._ ”

           Nels looked at Pudget with a look that the sergeant could only describe as reluctant and somewhat displeased, which didn’t make sense to him since Nels had been the one to suggest looking around Carmilla’s home in the first place. Still, the inspector entered the house first, not even bothering to glance at the lady as he did so.

           Pudget approached. “ _Forgive him, Miss Gentry, it appears as though he’s forgotten his manners. Shall I hold the door for you?_ ”

           “ _Why?_ ” The woman raised a brow.

           “ _Well, because as they say, ladies first._ ”

           With a roll of the eyes, the singer released the door and stepped into her house, with Pudget following close behind. He had to admit that, despite appearing to be around his age, she still had what appeared to be a nice, curvy figure.

           Nels looked around the main living area. “ _So, Miss Gentry,_ ” He began.

           “ _Please, stop with the formalities, Inspector. Call me Carmilla._ ”

           “ _Miss Gentry,_ ” He continued, a hint of stubborn aggression in his voice, “ _Where do you normally keep your jewellery?_ ”

           “ _Where else? Upstairs, in my bedroom._ ”

           Nels groaned audibly. “ _Detective-Sergeant, do check that out for me._ ”

           Pudget couldn’t help but give Nels a double-take. “ _Pardon? You aren’t going to see it for yourself?_ ”

           “ _No. I’m… I’m going to look around for any signs of forced entry._ ”

           It took everything the sergeant had not to smirk at that moment. “ _Sure. Whatever you want, Nels._ ”

           Disappointment written all over her pretty face, Carmilla led Pudget upstairs. Finally, he had her alone. The gears of his plan, inch by crooked inch, slowly began to turn.

           “ _How strange. I can’t imagine Nels acts like that very often._ ” Pudget said as they entered Carmilla’s bedroom. “ _I wonder what’s got him so weary all of the sudden._ ”

           “ _Perhaps he’s shy._ ” Gentry concluded. “ _Never been into a woman’s bedroom before._ ”

           Casually, Pudget planted a little tick. “ _Or maybe he’s got something to hide._ ”

           The rich woman turned, giving Pudget a strange look. “ _What do you mean?_ ”

           “ _I mean, maybe we shouldn’t leave him alone down there. He has just murdered a boy._ ”

           “ _So I’ve heard, but not that it was murder._ ”

           “ _Sweet Carmilla, the boy was innocent. He doesn’t seem particularly phased by that, either. Why, just this afternoon, he told me the boy deserved his fate regardless._ ” Pudget lied with ease, hoping to wrap himself around Carmilla’s mind and twist her perception of the facts.

           Not knowing the words coming from Pudget’s mouth were fallacy, Carmilla paused for a moment.

           “ _But I’m sure it’s nothing. I mean, the man was just promoted. Surely, he must be trustworthy to_ some _extent._ ”

           “ _Then why tell me you distrust him?_ ”

           “ _I’m just saying, if he tells us he found nothing downstairs, then we might need to be careful around him._ ”

           Carmilla stepped closer to Pudget, almost getting into his face. “ _Are you insinuating that Inspector Nels would go out of his way to tamper with evidence?_ ”

           Pudget shrugged. “ _We all have our vices, Carmilla._ ”

           After a few more seconds of fierce eye contact, Carmilla stepped back, shaking her head. “ _Do you want to see my empty jewellery boxes or not?_ ”

           “ _By all means, yes._ ”

           Carmilla’s drawers were made of ebony, and looked rather exquisite. She roughly opened the top right drawer, revealing boxes with little imprints to fit jewellery snugly inside.

           “ _I noticed all of my jewellery was missing when I was going to take out my earrings._ ” She said. “ _I had wanted to wear them this evening, but they, as well as everything else, were gone._ ”

           “ _Odd… What about the wall safe?_ ”

           Carmilla gestured for Pudget to follow her, leading him into her study. She then motioned with her hand toward the far wall; a painting lay trashed on the floor. Above it was an open safe on the wall. The safe in question was in fact empty.

           Pudget sighed. “ _Not even a calling card…_ ”

           “ _A calling card?_ ”

           “ _Usually, crooks like this would leave some sort of signature. For example, one might leave a note, or perhaps a specific piece of origami. They love the attention._ ”

           “ _So then, we can gather from this that this particular crook does not want to be known?_ ”

           The sergeant smiled at the rich lady. “ _That’s correct._ ”

           Abruptly, ruining the moment, in walked Nels.

           “ _Ah, Inspector Nels. Did you find anything downstairs?_ ” Carmilla asked.

           Nels shook his head. “ _Nothing out of the ordinary, no._ ”

           There was a brief look of anxiety on Carmilla’s face that revealed to Pudget that she was considering his warning, which made him cheer in his head.

           “ _What have you discovered so far, Pudget?_ ” Nels questioned.

           “ _Well, Nels, it would appear as though this criminal does not want any connection with this crime. There’s no calling card of any sort._ ”

           “ _Bloody hell. There’s got to be something we’re missing._ ”

           “ _Are you sure about that?_ ”

           “ _No criminal’s entirely perfect, Detective-Sergeant. Miss Gentry, is there anything else out of place? Anything you think the crook might have touched?_ ”

           Carmilla looked around. “ _I… I don’t think so, Inspector. Wait. I didn’t leave that window open._ ”

           “ _Brilliant!_ ” Out of his coat pocket, Nels pulled out a notepad. He flipped it open, and from a little strap within the book pulled a pen made of silver. He scribbled something into his book feverishly before putting the pen back and slapping the notepad shut. He then snapped his fingers at Pudget.  
           “ _Detective-Sergeant._ ”

           “ _What?_ ”

           “ _Get our fingerprint guys on this._ ”

           “ _You’re assuming that this guy wasn’t wearing gloves. If he didn’t want to be caught, why wouldn’t he wear gloves?_ ”

           “ _Because he_ does _want to be caught. He wants the glory. He just didn’t want it to be_ too _obvious._ ”

           For the first time in quite a while, Pudget felt himself becoming a little bit worried that he may have underestimated his opponent.


	4. The Clumsy Trespasser

            It was the fingerprints of a man named Michael Heathrow, found on the windowsill of Carmilla Gentry’s second floor bedroom window, that sent Detective-Inspector Nels on what would turn out to be a wild goose chase through the streets of Catshill. Following along, Detective-Sergeant Pudget knew already that the fingerprint lead was a no go, since he had duped their fingerprint experts by swapping their sample during their little processes.

            “ _Where to first, Nels?_ ” Pudget asked his so-called partner.

            “ _Mr. Heathrow’s records say he often frequents the local pub. We might be lucky enough to meet him there ourselves._ ”

            In fact, the pub was just where Pudget wanted Nels to go, which was why Heathrow had made a good scapegoat. With the sun slowly sinking into the horizon to bring about yet another night, Pudget doubted rather strongly that Heathrow, a large man described as being over six-six, would actually be present there. If he was, he would be an unnecessary complication in Pudget's plan.

            The two caught a taxi bound for the local pub, known by regulars and newcomers alike as The Clumsy Trespasser. They sat in silence for a long moment until the cabby, looking at them in the rear-view mirror, spoke.

            “ _Hey, have you guys heard the news? We could be looking at another world war._ ”

            Nels almost seemed to nod. His grip tightened slightly on the fedora resting on his lap. “ _So I’ve heard._ ”

            Pudget scoffed. “ _What, because of some Hitter guy?_ ”

            “ _Hit_ ler.” Nels corrected without as much as a glance toward his partner.

            “ _Whatever. I’m telling you right now, this will all be over within a few months, and we’ll forget it ever happened._ ”

            “ _One can hope…_ ”

            The three of them all remained quiet until the cabby pulled up at the curb outside of The Clumsy Trespasser. Nels paid the man and got out. By the time Pudget circled the cab to stand beside Nels, the inspector had placed his fedora back onto his head and had slipped a new lollipop into his mouth.

            “ _You’re going in with_ that _in your mouth?_ ”

            “ _Yes, why?_ ”

            “ _They’re going to ridicule you, is all…_ ”

            Undeterred, Nels pushed open the heavy wooden door to the pub and stepped inside with Pudget following at his heels not unlike an eager puppy.

            The selection of men found seated across the bar was not very pleasing to Pudget’s eyes. There were tall men, fat men, tall fat men, muscular men, muscular men with scrawny little punks at their sides, and men who looked like they’d just escaped from prison. Needless to say, upon seeing a plump little man and a skinny-as-a-twig dude that probably, to their standards, looked like a woman to them, the atmosphere very quickly became tense.

            Without even a pause, although Pudget could see the anxiety on the profile of Nels’ face, the inspector took a seat on one of the bar stools closest to the door.  
           “ _Bartender?_ ”

            The bartender, a beefy man with greying hair, approached Nels and sneered at him. “ _Yea? Whaddya want?_ ”

            “ _I’d just like to know if there is a man here by the name of Heathrow._ ”

            “ _’eathrow?_ ” The bartender asked, dropping his Hs. “ _Never ‘eard of ‘im._ ”

            “ _Well, you must have, because word is he frequents this place._ ”

            “ _Nope. I dunno who you are, but I ain’t never ‘eard of anyone by the name of ‘eathrow._ ”

            “ _My name is Alex. I’m a colleague of his._ ”

            “ _’e ain’t got no colleagues._ ”

            Nels raised a brow, as well as the corners of his lips. “ _I thought you didn’t know him._ ”

            “ _I don’t._ ” The bartender stumbled.

            “ _Then how do you know he “ain’t got no colleagues”?_ ”

            “ _W-well, I… The name musta… The name musta reminded me of this poster we got today. Some wanted poster._ ”

            Nels took off his fedora and placed it down onto the bar in front of him, a sign of intrigue. “ _A wanted poster, you say?_ ”

            “ _Yea. Just ‘ung it up. You can take a look if y’want, I don’t care._ ” The bartender gestured toward a wall covered in papers, some old and some new. The most recent poster added on was indeed a wanted poster, however for a nameless assailant who had apparently been terrorizing the neighbourhood as of late.

            “ _Nels,_ ” Pudget said, “ _Do you think_ this _is our guy?_ ”

            Nels shook his head. “ _I doubt it. The fingerprints were from Heathrow._ ” He responded discreetly so as to not bring attention to himself.

            “ _But… Hey… Wait a minute… Nels, call me crazy, but this guy kind of looks like you._ ”

            “ _What?_ ” Nels asked, a light-heartedness to his voice that nearly made Pudget laugh.

            “ _I’m serious! Look at his hair… Not too many men have long black hair like that these days._ ”

            “ _How can you tell if that’s all hair? It’s a black and white photo with bad contrasting._ ”

            “ _What else could it be?_ ”

            “ _As funny as it is to conclude that this guy looks like me, we need to get back to work, Pudget._ ” Nels announced after removing his sucker from his mouth, only to reinsert it seconds after saying what he had to say.

            In truth, the poster was fake. It had been made by someone who owed Pudget a big favour in order to try and create the idea of Nels himself being the “true” perpetrator of their current case. However, Pudget quite enjoyed the fact that Nels had felt the need to defend himself. It revealed to the sergeant that Nels was lacking at least some confidence in where exactly he stood in the law, and in that also presented to Pudget the fact that tricking Nels into believing he commit the crime and just forgot about it somehow might be easier than he initially thought.

            “ _Look, sir. Honestly, I know you’re lying. There’s no way you_ don’t _know Mr. Heathrow. In fact, because you’re lying to me, I can’t help but assume he’s in this very pub._ ”

            The bartender was silent and wore a poker face, but Pudget could see that he was beginning to sweat under the pressure of Nels’ accusing stare.

            “ _I’m here._ ” Was said suddenly by someone on the other side of the bar. Sitting on the stool there was a large man with short blond hair. He had some tattoos, and almost looked ex-army from the way he held himself, even though he was slouching. He looked very intimidating, so Pudget averted his eyes.

            Apparently not getting the same vibe of “this man is going to beat up not just myself but any pets or family members I have” from the suspect, Nels pushed his fedora closer to Pudget and stood up, slowly beginning to walk toward Heathrow’s side of the bar.

            “ _I see. You’ve been here the whole time, Mr. Heathrow._ ”

            “ _Yeah, and I don’t take lightly when people who’ve got no business with me think they do._ ”

            “ _Oh, but I_ do _have business with you._ ”

            Heathrow turned around to face Nels. “ _Oh yeah? What’s that, then?_ ” He asked sarcastically.

            “ _Mr. Heathrow, where were you about two days ago?_ ”

            “ _What’s it to you, tiny?_ ”

            “ _Please answer the question._ ”

            With a scoff, Heathrow responded. “ _I was here. Where else?_ ”

            “ _I can attest to that._ ” Said the bartender.

            Nels brought his eyes back down on Heathrow. Unlike the bartender, Nels' pale eyes seemed to have no effect on the larger man.  
           “ _Alright, then. I’ll accept that answer. Have you ever heard of Carmilla Gentry?_ ”

            “ _Who?_ ”

            Nels nodded and lowered his head. “ _I’ll take that as a no, then._ ”

            “ _You’re a cop, aren’t you?_ ”

            Pudget, panicking internally, moved his eyes from Heathrow to Nels repeatedly. Heathrow’s appearance, and needless to say his aggression towards Nels as well, were unexpected to say the least.

            Not missing a beat, Nels reached inside his dark red suit jacket, pulling his badge out from an inner pocket. “ _Station Detective-Inspector Nels._ ” He introduced himself before putting the badge back.

            “ _Anyone ever tell you I hate nosy cops who accuse me of something I didn’t do?_ ” Heathrow snarled as he stood, now towering over Nels.

            “ _That’s a strangely specific thing for them to have told me, but I think I might have read that about you somewhere._ ” The inspector said casually, looking right up at the muscular man.

            “ _You little smartarse, I’m gonna knock that mouth right off your noggin._ ”

            It was Pudget’s turn to begin sweating, but he was petrified by nervousness.

            Nels removed his lollipop from his mouth. “ _You wouldn’t hit a guy half your size with low-blood sugar who hasn’t eaten in well over a few hours, would you?_ ” He asked confidently, perhaps making fun of Heathrow having been “strangely specific” in his last comment.

            “ _Not many people would, but I’m not one of them._ ”

            Nels’ smirk disappeared, and his brows furrowed. He seemed to have understood what he’d walked into right as those words fell from Heathrow’s mouth, but he didn’t appear to even try to dodge the punch swung at him. Heathrow’s fist connected solidly with Nels’ nose, drawing blood in a matter of seconds, and the strike actually knocked Nels not just flat, but _out_ as well.

            The bulky man who, it was safe to assume, had been wrongfully accused clenched and unclenched his slightly-bloodied fist as he sat back down. “ _What a bloody moron. Someone get this bastard out of my sight._ ”

            The gaze of many others at the bar, including the bartender himself, rested upon Pudget, who took the hint and got up, rushing to Nels’ side. Kneeling down, he tried to coax the inspector awake.  
           “ _Nels, come on, it’s time to get up._ ”

            The coaxing elicit a groan from Nels, whose entire face nose-down was already practically coated by a sheet of blood, but nothing more.

            “ _Dammit…_ ” Pudget grumbled to himself. Draping Nels’ arm across his own shoulders, the detective-sergeant pulled Nels to his feet. After carelessly placing the fedora onto Nels’ head incorrectly, Pudget dragged his unconscious enemy out of the pub. The Clumsy Trespasser now sounded like a fitting name for the bar, for that was exactly what Nels had been.


	5. Small Talk

           When Detective-Inspector Nels came to, he was surprised to find himself lying down in the backseat of someone’s car. However, the initial confusion ceased when his frantic eyes came down upon Detective-Sergeant Pudget, who sat in the driver’s seat.

           With a sniffle that ultimately caused more harm than good, Nels asked, “ _I take it you carried me out of there?_ ”

           “ _I didn’t have much choice._ ” Pudget replied, “ _You were out cold._ ”

           “ _My hero._ ” A hint of sarcasm in his tone, Nels sat up, trying to wipe the drying blood off of his own face.

           “ _Are you going to be alright?_ ”

           “ _I’ll live, at least as long as I get food._ ” The dark-haired inspector paused for a moment.  
           “ _Wait. Is this your car?_ ”

           “ _No, I stole a taxi._ Of course _it’s my car._ ”

           “ _But how did we get to your car? We took a taxi to The Clumsy Trespasser._ ”

           Pudget shook his head with a small snicker that almost appeared to make his thick moustache bounce on his face. “ _It’s a long story involving a taxi and me carrying you._ ”

           Nels accepted that answer. “ _I’m serious, though. I need some food._ ”

           “ _Low blood sugar?_ ”

           “ _Hypoglycaemia._ ” Nels responded, confirming the theory.

           Giving in, if only just to keep Nels alive, Pudget put the car into drive and pressed his foot down on the accelerator. Not wearing a seatbelt, Nels leaned through the space between the driver and passenger seats with his book in his right hand and his silver pen in his left.  
           “ _Well, Mr. Michael Heathrow was a no-go._ ” He stated as he scribbled something out of his flip book.

           “ _Are you sure? I mean, maybe it’s just me, but usually when someone punches you in the nose it means they’re panicked because they’re guilty._ ”

           “ _I don’t think Mr. Heathrow panicked, Pudget. I think he just hated my face and wanted it out of his._ ”

           Pudget shrugged. “ _Fair enough._ ”

           For another moment, Nels stopped to think. “ _Actually, I’ve changed my mind. I think I’d rather just drink something._ ”

           “ _You sure about that?_ ”

           “ _I’m not ready to share a meal with you yet, Detective-Sergeant._ ”

           Pudget was sure there was a joke in that statement somewhere, but he couldn’t find it.

           It wasn’t long before Pudget parked his car in the parking lot of a modest little all-night diner near the heart of town. The unlikely duo stepped out of the vehicle into the night and entered the diner, where Nels immediately approached the counter. The waitress, holding an empty mug from a coffee maker, looked up at him and fell silent in shock before she so much as welcomed the new customers.

           “ _Hi,_ ” Nels started, “ _Do you have a bathroom here? I’d quite like to wash this blood off of my face, you see…_ ”

           Mutely, she pointed off to the right, where there was a hallway.

           “ _Thanks. You’re a doll. I mean, a dear. I meant “doll” in a nice way._ ” With a rather out-of-place thumbs up gesture to finish off his awkward yammering, Nels rushed away, leaving Pudget to pick a table.

           Nels returned into the dining area after a minute or two. The lower half of his face was still ever so slightly tinted red, but the blood was gone. It took him a moment to find his partner, but when he did, he walked over and sat across from him.

           No more than thirty seconds later, the waitress appeared at their table.  
           “ _Would you two like anything to eat?_ ” She asked.

           “ _No thanks._ ” Nels answered.

           “ _Alright then. Anything to drink?_ ”

           “ _Yes, please._ ”

           The waitress nodded and opened her order book, a double-sided pencil in her right hand.

           “ _I’ll have a glass of cold milk with a little bit of coffee and a_ lot _of sugar._ ”

           Pudget heard the waitress’ pencil snap. She flipped it to write with the other end before turning her head to the sergeant. “ _And you?_ ”

           “ _I’ll take my coffee black, thanks._ ”

           “ _How black?_ ” The lady pondered.

           With a deadpan look on his face and a blunt tone in his voice, Pudget answered.  
           “ _I want my coffee_ so goddamned black _that the_ bloody Ku Klux Klan _bursts in and tries to—_ ”

           “ _Alright, I’ve got it._ ” She said before she casually turned and wandered off, writing Pudget's order down with her eyes half shut lazily as though he had said nothing strange.

           Pudget leaned forward, his arms resting on the table, and stared at Nels. The inspector raised a brow, confused by the gesture or perhaps waiting for Pudget to say something.

           “ _Something on your mind?_ ” He asked innocently enough.

           “ _I’m just thinking about that poster, Nels…_ ”

           Nels furrowed his brows. “ _I wouldn’t think so much of it, Sergeant. It’s not relevant._ ”

           “ _But what if it is, and we just don’t realize it yet?_ ”

           The fair-skinned man shook his head, sighing in resignation. “ _Look, Pudget. You can follow up on that if you want, but I’m staying out of it._ ”

           “ _Why? Are you afraid?_ ”

           Nels said nothing, instead gazing silently out the window with his head resting in the palm of his left hand. He looked solemn, which didn’t register well in Pudget’s head. Something was off. Perhaps he was doing something incorrectly?

           Before he could ponder more on the subject, the waitress returned with two cups, placing them in front of their respective requesters.  
           “ _One “glass of cold milk with a little bit of coffee and a lot of sugar” and one cup of black-as-night coffee._ ”

           The duo thanked her, and she smiled (somewhat insincerely, Pudget believed) before wandering off to take care of another set of customers.

           Curiously, Pudget craned his neck a bit to see into Nels’ cup. The liquid inside the glass was white like milk with a swirl of light brown still coiling toward the centre.

           “ _I… can’t say I understand why you ordered something like that._ ” Pudget admit.

           “ _I need sugar, but I can’t stand coffee._ ” Nels answered before lifting the glass and taking a big gulp. Pudget flinched, waiting to see the inspector spit the concoction everywhere, but no such thing happened. Instead, Nels placed the cup back down onto the table, and with a satisfied exhale, announced,  
            “ _Sweet mother of god, yes._ ”

           The detective-sergeant thought about what a strange man Alexander Nels was as he took a sip of his hot black coffee.

           “ _Igh._ ” Nels grunted, flinching himself just watching Pudget imbibe the bitter liquid.

           “ _What’s the matter with you?_ ”

           “ _Our tastes are so different, aren’t they? You can’t understand why I like my drinks sweet enough to rot my teeth just by inhaling the air around them, and I can’t understand why you like your drinks bitter enough to kill a cat._ ”

           Pudget felt his eyes bulge somewhat. “ _Where did that come from?_ ”

           “ _… I couldn’t think of a hyperbole for yours._ ”

           “ _So you thought about killing a cat?_ ”

           “ _Cats can only taste bitter things._ ”

           “ _You really are weird, you know that?_ ”

           “ _I try._ ”

           The two shared a laugh together, something that Pudget hadn’t really anticipated. Once the laughter slowly came to a halt, Nels sat leaned forward against the table, his hands clasped under his chin. His snowy blue eyes, looking particularly soft, rest calmly on Pudget. It was at that particular moment that Pudget noticed that Nels’ nose was beginning to slowly dribble blood again.

           “ _Your nostril is leaking blood, Nels._ ” Pudget pointed out.

           “ _Mm._ ” The responding noise from Nels was flippant and unconcerned.

           “ _What are you staring at?_ ”

           “ _Not a clue._ ”

           “ _You alright?_ ”

           Nels, not taking his eyes off of Pudget, took another sip of his coffee-diluted sugar milk. The inspector was gradually beginning to look almost suspicious of the sergeant, who felt a tightness in his throat and a bead of sweat running down the back of his neck.

           Maybe Nels had already figured out his supposed partner’s true motive?

           The air tense with an unspoken conflict, Nels placed his glass, now empty, back down onto the table, finally taking his eyes off of Pudget to watch the two surfaces connect.

           “ _N-… Nels?_ ”

           Inhaling deeply through his nose, Nels raised his head, an insincere smile of his own on his slender face.  
           “ _I’m fine._ ” Again, Pudget couldn’t help but feel that the assuring statement was a lie through Nels’ teeth.

           Breaking eye contact with Nels to gaze in the direction of the checkerboard-patterned floor, Pudget took a small sip of his coffee.

           “ _The poster._ ”

           “ _Hm?_ ” Pudget nearly choked on the coffee, surprised by the sudden words.

           “ _Do you really think we should look into it?_ ”

           Placing his cup back into its saucer, Pudget replied, “ _I simply believe we should look into all potential leads._ ”

           Nels crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, and Pudget felt the inspector’s legs graze his to stretch out. A droplet of blood from his left nostril was now resting above his thin upper lip.  
           “ _Then let’s do just that._ ”

           Pudget would have smirked, since Nels agreeing to look into the fake poster put his plan back into order, but he was still bothered by Nels’ sudden shift from cheery to almost morbidly serious.


	6. Don't Tempt Me

            “ _Taking a side case for pay? What, are you two going freelance on me now?!_ ” Commissioner Compton shouted in fury. Detective-Inspector Nels, with a bruised face from the punch he had received the previous night, stood closer to his raging boss, standing in front of Detective-Sergeant Pudget, who was quietly cowering behind the younger yet taller man.

            “ _No, sir, that’s not it._ ” Nels responded casually.

            “ _Isn’t it? If it isn’t that, would you perhaps care to lighten me on what it_ actually _is?_ ”

            Nels bent his right knee, allowing himself to slant somewhat.  
           “ _She came to us and practically begged for help._ ” He admit. “ _I felt inclined to help her, seeing as that_ is _my job._ ”

            “ _Your job is not to take random cases, Detective-Inspector! You take cases that I assign you to!_ ” The commissioner argued.

            “ _I know. But I took Miss Gentry’s case out of the kindness of my heart._ ”

            Pudget stood relatively still, watching Nels calmly defend himself from the wrath of Commissioner Compton. The detective-sergeant felt a certain distaste toward their boss, as Compton had opted to promote Nels to detective-inspector instead of him. It made no sense to the plump man, because Nels had apparently always been notorious for doing whatever he pleased, be it disobeying orders to get further in a case or taking cases that he wasn’t actually permitted to take. Of course, thinking about those reasons, Pudget then felt like a hypocrite, since he too was now guilty of the same deeds.

            “ _Detective-Inspector Nels, you need to start behaving._ _Just because I promoted you doesn’t mean you can do whatever you’d like._ ”

            “ _Behave? Me? Why, Commissioner Compton, I would never!_ ”

            Defeated, Compton sighed. “ _I’ll let it slide this time. But don’t you dare accept another case without at least consulting me first, alright?_ ”

            Nels nodded. “ _It’s a deal._ ”

            Together, Nels and Pudget left the commissioner’s office, at which point the inspector snarled and roughly placed his dark-green fedora onto his head.  
           “ _That prick has the nerve to scold me for trying to help someone in need after I just killed a boy? God forbid I try to make things right._ ”

            “ _You handled it pretty well in there._ ”

            “ _If you were watching my hands, you would’ve noticed how I hard I was resisting the urge to strangle him._ ”

            The two were on their way out of the office when suddenly the secretary at the front desk, a Miss Allison Hendrix, called out.

            “ _Detective-Inspector!_ ” She hollered.

            Nels sighed before pivoting around and marching back, Pudget following not far behind.  
           “ _Yes, Allison?_ ”

            Allison pushed a loose strand of blond hair back behind her ear. The girl was yet another that had seemingly fallen for Nels, but Pudget didn’t mind in this case, since Allison was a bit too much of a bimbo for his liking.

            “ _Um, Miss Gentry came back while you were talking to Commissioner Compton._ ” Hendrix announced. “ _She told me to give you this._ ” Meekly, the skinny girl handed Nels a pink envelope.

            Not saying a word, Nels opened the envelope right there. Pudget stood on his toes to peek at the paper within over Nels’ shoulder.

            “ _Dear Alexander,_

 _“You are hereby cordially invited to watch me perform at_ ”

            That was all Pudget was able to read before Nels crumpled the paper and shoved it into his coat pocket.

            “ _Wh—Nels—_ ”

            “ _I’m too tired to deal with a woman right now._ ” Nels responded, earning himself a brief nervous glance from Allison.

            Pudget raised a brow. “ _I don’t… I don’t understand._ ”

            “ _Besides, she called me Alexander._ ” With his point apparently made somehow, Nels turned and continued walking out, leaving Pudget standing there in confusion.

            “ _But… B-but that’s your name!_ ”

            “ _I_ hate _the name Alexander. Why do you think I introduce myself as Alex?_ ” Nels asked without turning to face his partner.

            Pudget stayed still, the gears in his head turning. Carmilla requesting to see Nels was unplanned, but also, he decided, rather useful.  
           “ _Nels, hold on a minute._ ”

            With an audible sigh, Nels stopped walking, but still didn’t turn.

            “ _You should go to her. Not even Hell knows wrath like that of a woman wronged._ ”

            “ _I’m not going alone, that’s for sure._ ” Was Nels’ only reply.

            As much as Pudget wanted to see Carmilla again, he shook his head. “ _I think you’d better. That seems to be what she wants._ ”

            Nels shook his head. “ _You’re coming with me._ ”

            “ _I’m not, Nels. I’ll stay back and try to gather some more clues if I can._ ”

            The Detective-Inspector stood still, tapping his foot against the floor with his hands shoved into his pockets.

            “ _Fine. But I’m not going to enjoy it._ ”

            “ _Fair enough, Inspector._ ”

* * *

 

            That evening, Carmilla Gentry stood on a platform in a local tavern in a long, silky red dress. It was hard to get up and perform during such a rough time, with her son being missing and all, but she decided she would dedicate her voice to her lost child that night.

            With some paid performers behind her starting on the instruments, she began to sing. Her voice came out smooth, as always. With her sensual brown eyes, she scanned the crowd of people at the bar until her eyes caught.

            Sitting at a table close to one of the walls was a black-haired man with sharp cheekbones. He had a dark green coat draped over the back of his chair, and on the table in front of him was a matching fedora. He was watching her, but once he noticed she was staring at him, he averted his eyes and began staring at the floor under his table.

            Knowing that she had just laid eyes on Detective-Inspector Nels, Carmilla took the microphone with her as she elegantly stepped off of the platform. She continued to sing as she slowly began to strut toward him; her voice was softer now, and as she walked by other tables, she grazed her gloved fingers across them gently.

            Nels didn’t raise his head again until he felt Carmilla place her hand on his left shoulder. Following the command given by a gentle shove on said spot, he swivelled his body to face her. Still singing, the woman leaned close to Nels, who appeared to be struggling to keep his poker face.

            When an instrumental break began, Carmilla placed the microphone down on the table.

            “ _I must warn you, Miss Gentry, not to bait me like this._ ” Nels whispered, his voice dripping with hesitance and… something else. “ _For I am a man, and if I were to desire something, I fear I may stop at absolutely nothing short of manslaughter to get it._ ”

            Carmilla gripped the straps of Nels’ red suspenders. “ _I like to take risks._ ” She said, and then she was swept off of her feet by an embrace and a kiss on the lips that she couldn’t resist.


End file.
